When blood turns from a liquid to a solid, a blood clot (also known as a thrombosis) occurs. After a scrape or cut, the body generally produces blood clots to halt the bleeding. Blood clots, on the other hand, can partially or fully stop blood flow in a blood vessel, such as a vein or artery. A blood clot can happen to anybody, but you’re more likely to have one during pregnancy and for the first three months following giving birth to your kid.
The majority of women who have blood clotting problems have healthy pregnancies. However, some pregnant women may experience difficulties as a result of these illnesses. They can kill both the mother and the infant in extreme situations. But testing and treatment can help protect and save both you and your baby. Tell your health care provider at a preconception checkup (before pregnancy) or at your first prenatal care appointment if you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant and have had blood clot difficulties in the past. Speak with your provider if you or someone in your family has had difficulties with blood clots, such as a parent, brother, or sister.
It’s possible that blood clots run in your family. You can also request a blood test from your doctor to determine if you have thrombophilia. This is a medical issue that makes it more likely for you to form irregular blood clots. Blood thinners are required for some pregnant women with thrombophilias. They prevent clots from becoming larger and generating new clots.
Why are pregnant women at greater risk for blood clots?
Pregnant women are five times more likely than non-pregnant women to have a blood clot. This might be because your blood clots more easily during pregnancy to prevent blood loss during labour and delivery. Because the expanding baby pulls on blood arteries around the pelvis, blood flow to the legs in pregnant women may decrease later in pregnancy. When you’re pregnant, you may have limited mobility or immobility (not moving much), such as when you’re on bed rest or recuperating from childbirth.
What problems can blood clots cause during pregnancy?
If you have a blood clot or a kind of thrombophilia known as antiphospholipid syndrome (also known as APS), you may be more susceptible to consequences that might harm your health and the health of your baby, such as:
In the placenta, blood clots. The placenta develops in your uterus (womb) and provides nourishment and oxygen to the baby via the umbilical cord. A blood clot in the placenta might cut off blood supply to your baby, causing injury.
A heart attack. This occurs when a blood clot prevents blood and oxygen from reaching the heart. The heart cannot pump blood effectively without blood and oxygen, and the afflicted heart muscle may perish. A heart attack can result in permanent cardiac damage or even death.
Intauterine growth restriction (also called IUGR). This is when your baby grows poorly in the womb.
Miscarriage. When a baby dies in the womb before the 20th week of pregnancy, it is called a miscarriage.
Insufficiency of the placenta. When the placenta does not function properly, your baby receives less food and oxygen.
Preeclampsia. This is a condition that occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy or shortly after delivery. When a pregnant woman has both protein in her urine and excessive blood pressure, this is known as proteinuria.
The delivery of a child too soon. When your baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, this is known as preterm labour.
Embolism of the lungs (also called PE). An embolism is a blood clot that travels from one part of the body to another. A PE occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs. PE can harm your bodily organs and create low oxygen levels in your blood. It’s a medical emergency and a primary cause of pregnancy-related mortality. PE can cause the following signs and symptoms:
Breathing problems, Heartbeats that are too fast or too irregular, Pain in the chest, Fainting, and coughing blood.
Stillbirth. This is when a baby dies in the womb before birth but after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Stroke. When a blood clot stops a blood artery bringing blood to the brain, or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts open, this happens. Strokes occur in roughly 8 out of every 100,000 women during pregnancy and delivery. Strokes can be fatal or create long-term harm to the body.
Thrombosis. When a blood clot develops in a blood artery and stops blood flow, this occurs. It usually occurs in the deep veins of the legs, although it can also occur in other parts of the body:
Thrombosis of the cerebral veins (also called CVT). When a blood clot develops in a vein in the brain, this occurs. CVT can result in a stroke. Headaches, eyesight issues, and seizures are some of the signs and symptoms. Thrombosis of the deep veins (also called DVT). When a blood clot develops in a deep vein in the body, generally in the lower calf or thigh, this occurs. Ultrasound or other imaging tests can be used to identify DVT. Warmth and tenderness around the vein, as well as discomfort, swelling, or skin redness in the afflicted region, are possible signs and symptoms.
Thromboembolism of the veins (also called VTE). When a blood clot breaks off and travels via the bloodstream to crucial organs such as the brain, lungs, or heart, this occurs. DVT and PE are examples of this condition.
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